GIVEAWAY & NOVICA TABBLEWARE REVIEW

I am not the kind of person who likes advertising for just any product in oreder to make money or having a blog that looks more like the pages of a newspaper than that of an independent site. I enjoy my freedom and refuse to have an internet page that ressembles a catalog and is polluted by senseless ads...

It is for that reason that I generally decline advertisement offers. If one proposition sounds interesting and the philosophy of the firm in question fits my way of thinking and principles, then I might take it in consideration and accept it. I need to stay 100% behind what I'm promoting as well as I feel obligated to be honest with my readers, otherwise I would feel like a fake and a liar.

Therefore when I was contacted by NOVICA I knew that it was something for me as their way of doing business is totally adequate with my believes and respects them. What I really like about them is that they are different and fight to promote an alternative. NOVICA wants to provide us with access to unique, hard-to-find items at great values that only the Internet infrastructure can allow. Their aim is to give artists and artisans around the world a global platform to express their true artistic talents and to spur their creativity as well as to create a bridge between us and the many talented artisans across the globe. It is important to them that we know about who we are buying from, to feel that attachment to the product and to the hands that created it.

In association with THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, this fairtrade and eco-friendly organization's purpose is to create a revolutionary system through which the artists and artisans of the world (the global team comes from different cultures, countries and language sets - Andes, Bali & Java, Brazil, Central America, India, Mexico, Thailand and West Africa) can display their fine works to a global audience of prospective customers.

NOVICA does not charge artists any fees for listing their items on the website. Furthermore, artists remain fully independent (they are free to raise their prices, lower their prices, or remove their items from their website). By cutting out the long strings of middlemen, NOVICA allows both consumers and artisans to get the most out of each and every transaction. Besides, they also give the customer the chance to help the artists by making a free of interest loan (microfinance service) directly to craftspersons.

They offer a vast array of products ranging from home decor (furniture, tableware, tapestries, etc...), jewelry & apparels (earrings, bracelets, necklaces, etc...) to paintings (abstract, religious, landscapes, etc...) and also specialise in corporate as well as green gifts. As you can imagine it was very difficult for me to choose from their catalog as there are so many exquisite objects on offer. Anyway, being a foodie and loving hadmade tabbleware I decided to order some bowls.

I've always been a big fan of Southest Asian art and lately I've been dreaming of finding Mexican dishes, so it was all naturally that I ordered a "Ceramic Salsa Bowl" made by Javier Servin from the state of Guanajuato in Mexico and a pair of "Frangipani Leaves" bowls made by Putu Oka Mahendra from Bali in Indonesia.

I placed my order last Monday and both my items arrived at the same time, on Friday (same week). What a fast shipment considering the fact that the merchandise came directly from the artists' place! Everything was well-packed and came to destination in perfect condition.

When I discovered my items I was totally blown away by their sheer perfection, refinement, elegance and beauty. In front of me were three exceptional items that were extremely splendid and gorgeously executed. They were even nicer than on the photo (and the photos were good)! I was so pleased with my gifts. What a delight for the eyes and senses!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY

1x 100$ gift certificate

Rules and Entry Details:
- You must leave a COMMENT in the comment section of this post (one entry per person).
- Winner will be chosen using the "hat method".
- Winner will be notified via the contact email provided on the comment contact form (please leave your e-mail adress if you don't have a blog).
- This giveaway is open WORLDWIDE (please check their International Shipping Table to know if they can ship to your country).
- The contest closes on Sunday, February 13th, 2011 at Midnight, 12:00am CET.

Statement:
This giveaway is provided to you by NOVICA. Please note that I only promote things that stay true to my tastes, convictions and interests. The opinions expressed on Rosa's Yummy Yums are purely my own and based upon my personal experiences with NOVICA. I was given a gift certificate, however I was not paid to publish a positive review.
Thank you NOVICA for sharing your wonderful tabbleware with us!